Method for measurement of total protein content and detection of protein via immunoassay in a microfluidic device

ABSTRACT

Some embodiments described herein relate to systems and methods operable to combine immunoassay and Total Protein techniques in a single sample run. Some embodiments described herein allow for multiple sequential immunoassays to be performed in the same microfluidic device. Some embodiments described herein relate to stripping reagents operable to remove primary antibodies associated with immunoassays. Such stripping reagents can allow for additional immunoassays and/or Total Protein assays to be performed on the same sample.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to and the benefits of U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 63/010,436, filed Apr. 15, 2020, the entiredisclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

Embodiments described herein generally related to capillaryelectrophoresis methods for performing immunoassays and/or proteinquantity assays on samples. Stripping reagents are disclosed that areoperable to remove antibodies associated with immunoassays such thatadditional assays can be performed on the same sample.

BACKGROUND

An important part of protein research includes characterizing proteinswithin a heterogeneous sample, such as a cell lysate that can include ofthousands of proteins. A Western blot is a commonly usedimmunoassay-based method used to analyze specific proteins within thesecomplex samples, using the specificity of antibodies to identifyprotein(s) of interest. When performing immunoassays in a western blotformat, it has increasingly become more important to quantify theresulting immunoassay signal. One method for quantification is tonormalize the immunoassay signal to the total protein content in thesample. This has increasingly been requested by journals when publishingwestern blot results to ensure data accuracy and precision.

Existing systems are operable to provide fully automatedmicrofluidic-based (e.g., capillary-based) immunoassays, such asProteinSimple's® Simple Western® instrument. Some such systems arecapable of combining an immunoassay(s) with size separation similar totraditional gel-based western blots in a capillary. The sample,separation matrix, stacking matrix, antibodies and reagents can beloaded automatically. The instrument can be operable to aspirate aseparation matrix and then a stacking matrix into each capillary. Next,a sample, which can contain a heterogeneous protein mixture can beloaded, and capillaries can be brought into contact with running buffer.Voltage can be applied to enable separation by molecular weight or othersuitable characteristic. Once the separation is complete, UV light canimmobilize the proteins to the capillary wall. Immunoprobing of theproteins can be carried out, for example, with proteins immobilized andthe matrix cleared from the capillary. Additionally, some existingsystems are operable to provide a “Total Protein” assay, which can becarried out through biotinylation of proteins immobilized to acapillary's inner surface, followed by detection of horseradishperoxidase (HRP) conjugated streptavidin and a chemiluminescentreaction.

A need, however, exists for a method that permits chemiluminescencedetection for both the immunoassay and Total Protein readout in the samecapillary. In addition, it is desirable to increase multiplexingcapabilities beyond the number of detection modalities/channels.

SUMMARY

Some embodiments described herein relate to systems and methods operableto combine immunoassay and Total Protein techniques in a single samplerun. Instruments having both chemiluminescence and fluorescencedetection capabilities, such as Jess® by ProteinSimple® can provide a“Protein Normalization” method whereby a fluorescent dye is covalentlyattached to all separated and immobilized protein molecules via, forexample, NHS-ester amine coupling. In this way, a specific target can bemeasured, for example, using chemiluminescence associated with animmunoassay, while a measure of the total protein loaded is determinedfrom the fluorescence signal. Known techniques for protein normalizationtypically have similar dynamic range as typical western blot-styleimmunoassays and cannot be multiplexed in the same capillary in which animmunoassay has been run using chemiluminescence detection. In contrast,embodiments of Protein Normalization described herein can be multiplexedin the same capillary with a chemiluminescence immunoassay, and may havea decreased or different dynamic range compared to the immunoassaysignal.

In addition to performing a Total Protein and immunoassay in the samecapillary, some embodiments described herein allow for multiplesequential immunoassays to be performed in the same capillary.Instruments that have both chemiluminescence and fluorescence detectioncapabilities (e.g., ProteinSimple's® Jess®) allow for “multiplexed”detection, i.e., detection of multiple targets within a capillary usinga single mixture of antibodies conjugated with moieties for eitherchemiluminescence or fluorescence detection. However, combiningantibodies in a single mixture constrains which antibodies can be mixed,for example, due to non-specific signal resulting from cross-reactivityof the antibodies used for the immunoassays or incompatible dynamicrange for the antibodies when used in the same capillary (e.g.,different dynamic range for chemiluminescence versus fluorescence).

Embodiments described herein relate to the use of a Total Protein assayand/or a second immunoassay in the same capillary as a westernblot-style immunoassay enabling high sensitivity total proteinmeasurements and immunoassays combined with the low sample requirementand high throughput capabilities previously demonstrated with SimpleWestern technology.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A-1H illustrate events occurring in a stripping and immunoassayreprobing method, according to an embodiment.

FIGS. 2A-2H illustrate events occurring in a stripping and Total Proteinreprobing method, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 illustrates stripping efficiency vs. pH for three differenttargets.

FIG. 4 illustrates stripping efficiency vs. a wider pH rangedemonstrating a significant reduction in stripping efficiency at pH>4.5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Some embodiments described herein relate to methods suitable forperforming multiple immunoassays on a sample separated viaelectrophoresis carried out in a capillary or other suitablemicrofluidic device. The sample can be separated such that at least afirst analyte and a second analyte are separated into different bands.The first analyte and the second analyte can be immobilized in thecapillary. A first primary antibody configured to selectively bind tothe first analyte (and optionally, to not bind to the second analyte)can be introduced into the capillary. A first secondary antibodyconfigured to selectively bind to the first primary antibody can beintroduced into the capillary. The first analyte can be detected basedon an optical characteristic associated with the first secondaryantibody. For example, the first secondary antibody can be conjugated tohorseradish peroxidase (HRP) and the first analyte can be detected basedon a chemiluminescence reaction associated with the HRP. A strippingreagent configured to remove the first primary antibody from the firstanalyte can be introduced into the capillary. The first analyte and thesecond analyte can remain immobilized in the capillary after thestripping reagent is introduced and the first primary antibody (alongwith the first secondary antibody and/or HRP) is removed. A secondprimary antibody configured to bind to the second analyte can then beintroduced, for example, after the introduction of the strippingreagent. A second secondary antibody configured to bind to the secondprimary antibody can be introduced, and the second analyte can bedetected based on an optical characteristic associated with the secondsecondary antibody (e.g., a chemiluminescent reaction and/or afluorescent tag).

Some embodiments described herein relate to methods suitable forperforming an immunoassay and a Total Protein assay on a sampleseparated via electrophoresis carried out in a capillary or othersuitable microfluidic device. Analytes from the sample can be separatedand immobilized in the capillary. A molecule having a reactive moietyconfigured to non-specifically bind to proteins, such as biotin, can beintroduced into the capillary. Similarly stated and for example, theproteins can be biotinylated. A primary antibody configured to bind toat least a subset of analytes can be introduced to the capillary. Asecondary antibody configured to bind to the primary antibody can beintroduced. The subset of analytes can be detected based on an opticalcharacteristic associated with the secondary antibody. A strippingreagent configured to remove the primary antibody from the subset ofanalytes can be introduced. The immobilized analytes can remain in thecapillary after the stripping reagent is introduced and the primaryantibody (along with the secondary antibody) is removed. An opticallydetectable agent configured to bind to the molecule can be introducedinto the capillary. In the example in which the molecule is biotin,streptavidin can be introduced. The streptavidin can be conjugated toHRP or otherwise made optically detectable. All biotinylated analytes(e.g., all proteins) in the capillary can be detected based on anoptical signal associated with the optically detectable agent. Theoptical characteristic associated with the secondary antibody (e.g., animmunoassay signal) can be normalized based on the optical signalassociated with the optically detectable agent (e.g., a Total Proteinsignal). In some embodiments, it can be important that the events ofthis paragraph be performed in the order in which they are described.

Normalizing an immunoassay signal (or other suitable signal) can improvethe ability of the instrument and/or analyst to accurately comparemeasured quantities from different samples by eliminating the influenceof certain uncontrolled differences between the samples that are not thesubject of study. For immunoassays, normalizing to total protein contentin each sample can eliminate the influence of variability due to thesample composition (e.g. cell count, lysate dilution) or pipettingerrors. Additionally, normalizing to total protein content isadvantageous to normalizing to a specific housekeeping protein (e.g.beta actin or beta tubulin) as these proteins' expression levels can beaffected by an experimental treatment or their immunoassay signal maynot be in the same linear dynamic range as that of the target protein.In one embodiment, a normalization is performed by dividing the amountof a specific protein determined by an immunoassay in a capillary by theratio of the total protein in the capillary to the total protein in areference capillary.

Some embodiments described herein relate to a formulation of a strippingreagent. The stripping reagent can include a buffer,Tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine hydrochloride (TCEP), and a detergent. Thestripping reagent can have a pH below 5.

Some embodiments described herein relate to a method for using astripping reagent that includes TECP and has a pH between 3.0 and 4.5.The stripping reagent can be used to remove a first primary antibodyassociated with an immunoassay from an analyte. The analyte can beelectrophoretically separated and immobilized in a capillary. The firstprimary antibody and a first secondary antibody associated with theimmunoassay can be introduced into the capillary. After the firstprimary antibody is removed from the capillary using the strippingreagent, streptavidin or another suitable reagent configured to bind tobiotinylated proteins and/or a second primary antibody configured tobind to an analyte in the sample can be introduced into the capillary.

Stripping and Reprobing Methods

Stripping and reprobing can allow users to analyze the same immobilizedproteins, in the same capillary and same run, thereby saving time, moneyand precious samples.

FIGS. 1A-1H illustrate events occurring in a stripping and reprobingmethod, according to an embodiment. Stripping and reprobing can be usedto perform two or more immunoassays on a single sample in sequence(e.g., reusing the separated and immobilized sample and/or withoutrequiring additional sample to be (re)loaded and/or (re)separated foreach immunoassay). FIG. 1A, is a schematic illustration of a sample thathas been separated and immobilized to a surface of a capillary 110. Forexample, the analyte can be covalently bound to the surface of acapillary 110, for example, using the devices and/or method shown anddescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,846,676 and/or U.S. Patent Application Pub.No. 2008/0017512, the entire disclosure of each of which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety. As shown, the sample has beenseparated into two bands 112 and 114. Each band represents a distinctanalyte species and is present in a distinct portion of the capillary110. It should be understood that the sample can contain any number ofanalyte species and/or be separated into any number of bands.

As used herein, the term “analyte” refers to any molecule or compound tobe separated via electrophoretic techniques and/or detected with themethods, apparatus and systems provided herein. Suitable analytesinclude, but are not limited to, small chemical molecules such as, forexample, environmental molecules, clinical molecules, chemicals,pollutants, and/or biomolecules. More specifically, such chemicalmolecules can include, but are not limited to pesticides, insecticides,toxins, therapeutic and/or abused drugs, antibiotics, organic materials,hormones, antibodies, antibody fragments, antibody-molecule conjugates(e.g., antibody-drug conjugates), antigens, cellular membrane antigen,proteins (e.g., enzymes, immunoglobulins, and/or glycoproteins), nucleicacids (e.g., DNA and/or RNA), lipids, lectins, carbohydrates, wholecells (e.g., prokaryotic cells such as pathogenic bacteria and/oreukaryotic cells such as mammalian tumor cells), viruses, spores,polysaccharides, glycoproteins, metabolites, cofactors, nucleotides,polynucleotides (comprising ribonucleic acid and/or deoxyribonucleicacid), transition state analogs, inhibitors, receptors, receptor ligands(e.g., neural receptors or their ligands, hormonal receptors or theirligands, nutrient receptors or their ligands, and/or cell surfacereceptors or their ligands), receptor-ligand complexes, nutrients,electrolytes, growth factors and other biomolecules and/ornon-biomolecules, as well as fragments and combinations thereof. In someembodiments, the analyte is a protein or a protein complex, and thesample is a cellular lysate or a purified protein. Other suitableanalytes can include aggregates, agglomerates, floc, and/or dispersedphase droplets or particles of colloids and/or emulsions. Onceseparated, a “band” of analytes is referred to herein as an “analytespecies.”

As used herein, the term “sample” refers to a composition that containsan analyte or analytes to be detected. A sample, in some embodiments, isheterogeneous, containing a variety of components (e.g., differentproteins) or homogenous, containing one component (e.g., a population ofone protein). In some instances, a sample can be naturally occurring, abiological material, and/or a manufactured material. Furthermore, asample can be in a native (e.g., a cell suspension) or denatured form(e.g., a lysate). In some instances, a sample can be a single cell (orcontents of a single cell, e.g., as a cellular lysate from the singlecell, or a purified protein) or multiple cells (or contents of multiplecells, e.g., as a cellular lysate from the multiple cells, or a purifiedprotein from the multiple cells), a blood sample, a tissue sample, askin sample, a urine sample, a water sample, and/or a soil sample. Insome instances, a sample can be from a living organism, such as aeukaryote, prokaryote, mammal, human, yeast, and/or bacterium or thesample can be from a virus.

Samples can be separated by any suitable mobility parameter such ascharge, molecular weight, electrophoretic mobility (e.g., influenced bymolecular weight, characteristic length, area, or volume,oligonucleotide length, or other suitable characteristic), isoelectricpoint and/or the like. For example, in some embodiments, a sample issubjected to an electrophoretic separation in a capillary tubecomprising a separation matrix, based on a mobility parameter such asmolecular weight or the like. The capillary tube can include aseparation matrix, which can be added in an automated fashion. Theseparation matrix, in some embodiments, is an isoelectric separationmatrix, and has similar or substantially the same properties of apolymeric gel, used in conventional electrophoresis experiments, such asa pH gradient. Capillary electrophoresis in the separation matrix isanalogous to separation in a polymeric gel, such as a polyacrylamide gelor an agarose gel, where molecules are separated on the basis of themobility parameter of the molecules in the sample, by providing a porouspassageway through which the molecules can travel.

As shown in FIG. 1B, first primary antibody 120 can be introduced into acapillary 110, for example, after separation and immobilization of theanalytes. In some instances, after an analysis is initiated, aninstrument can be operable to automatically separate, immobilize, and/orintroduce the first primary antibody 120 without any further userintervention. The first primary antibody 120 can be configured toselectively bind to one or more analyte species within the capillary120. That is, in some instances, the first primary antibody 120 can beconfigured to bind to certain target analytes within thesample/capillary 120 while not binding to other (e.g., non-target)analytes. In some instances, unbound first primary antibody can beremoved, for example, after an incubation period, in a washing step.

A first secondary antibody 122 can be introduced into the capillary 110,as shown in FIG. 1C. The first secondary antibody 122 can be configuredto bind to the first primary antibody 120. In some instances, unboundfirst secondary antibody 122 can be removed, for example, after anincubation period, in a washing step. As shown in FIGS. 1C and 1D, thesecondary antibody 122 is conjugated with HRP prior to being introducedinto the capillary 110. As shown in FIG. 1D, a chemiluminescentsubstrate 124, such as 3,3′,5,5′-Tetramethylbenzidine (TAB),3,3′-Diaminobenzidine (DAB), luminol, peroxide, or any other suitablechromogenic and/or (enhanced) chemiluminescent substrate is introducedinto the capillary. The HRP conjugated to the secondary antibody 122 cancatalyze the chemiluminescent substrate 124, producing an opticalsignal.

The first analyte 112/analyte species labeled with the first primaryantibody 120 can be detected based on an optical characteristicassociated with the first secondary antibody 122. For example, achemiluminescent reaction associated with HRP conjugated to the firstsecondary antibody 122 can be detected and/or recorded by a CCD cameraor another suitable detector in an image or a series of images takenover time. After detecting analyte/analyte species labeled with thefirst primary antibody 120, a stripping reagent can be introduced intothe capillary 110, as shown in FIG. 1E. The stripping reagent can beoperable to remove the first primary antibody 120, the first secondaryantibody 122, and/or optically detectable agent 124 while retaining theimmobilized samples for another round of immunoassay.

FIGS. 1F-1H then repeat the above steps with a second primary antibody130, second secondary antibody (labeled with HRP) 132 and subsequentsecond detection step. The second primary antibody 130 is configured toselectively bind to the second analyte 114, and the second secondaryantibody 132 is configured to bind to the second primary antibody 130.Typically the second primary antibody 130 is configured to selectivelybind to a different analyte than the first primary antibody 120, but insome instances the second primary antibody 130 can be the same as thefirst primary antibody 120, for example, to assess the repeatability,stability, or characteristics of an assay. The second secondary antibody132 can be the same antibody as the first secondary antibody 122 or canbe a different secondary antibody. Optionally, the second primaryantibody 130 and/or the second secondary antibody 132 can be introducedafter the stripping agent has removed the first primary antibody 110,which can allow for sequential and distinct immunoassays to be performedon a single sample. For example, the first secondary antibody and thesecond secondary antibody can both be HRP-labeled and configured toproduce optically indistinguishable signals in the presence ofchemiluminescent substrate. By stripping the first primary antibody 120and first secondary antibody 122 after detecting the first analyte 112and before introducing the second secondary antibody 132, differentanalytes can be detected using the same optically detectable agent(s).

Although FIGS. 1A-1H depict the first primary antibody 120 and thesecond primary antibody 130 selectively binding to different (separated)analyte species, in other embodiments the first primary antibody 120 andthe second primary antibody 130 can be configured to selectively bind todifferent epitopes of an electrophoretically undifferentiated analytespecies.

A chemiluminescent substrate 134 can be introduced into the capillary110 such that the HRP-labeled secondary antibody 132, and therefore thesecond analyte 114/analyte species can be detected based on an opticalsignal associated with the HRP/chemiluminescent substrate interaction.

As would be readily apparent to one skilled in the art, additionalstripping and reprobing steps are possible and alternate detectionmodalities (color detection, fluorescence detection, etc.) can be usedin addition to or instead of chemiluminescence detection. While FIGS.1A-1H describes two sequential immunoassays that detect two distinctprotein species via chemiluminescence, one skilled in the art wouldreadily understand that an alternate embodiment could employ twodifferent antibodies for the same target or two different epitopes ofthe same protein. In addition, fluorescence detection, absorbance or anycommon detection method may be employed, including combinations ofmultiple detection modes.

In addition, while FIGS. 1A-1H depict the use of primary antibodiesconfigured to selectively bind to certain target analytes, HRP-labeledsecondary antibodies configured to bind to primary antibodies, andchemiluminescent substrates, a skilled artisan will understand thatother detection techniques are possible. For example, as discussed belowwith reference to FIG. 2D, the secondary antibody can be fluorescentlylabeled, rather than HRP-labeled. In such an embodiment, a separatechemiluminescent substrate may not be necessary. In such an embodimentthe fluorescently labeled secondary antibody can be excited by theinstrument and its emissions detected. In yet other embodiments, aprimary antibody can be labeled with HRP, a fluorescent tag, orotherwise be optically detectable (e.g., via native fluorescence orabsorbance techniques). In such an embodiment a separate secondaryantibody may not be necessary. In yet other embodiments, tertiary,quaternary, etc. agents may be employed. For example, a secondaryantibody can be biotinylated and tertiary streptavidin conjugated withan optically detectable agent (e.g. HRP or a fluorescent tag) canincrease the detectable signal associated with an analyte. A skilledartisan would further understand that different detection techniques canbe used to evaluate different analyte species. For example, the firstanalyte species 112 can be detected as shown and described withreference to FIGS. 1B-1D (e.g., through the use of a primary antibody, aHRP-conjugated secondary antibody, and a chemiluminescent substrate),while the second analyte species 114 can be detected through theintroduction of a fluorescently labeled primary antibody without the useof HRP or secondary antibodies.

In some embodiments some or all of the events shown and described withreference to FIGS. 1A-1H can be performed automatically and/or withoutadditional user intervention, other than an indication to initiate theimmunoassay(s). Additionally, the events described with reference toFIGS. 1A-1H can be performed in the order described.

FIGS. 2A-2H illustrate events occurring in a stripping and reprobingmethod, according to an embodiment. The embodiment illustrated in FIGS.2A-2H can be used to combine one or more immunoassays with a TotalProtein assay. As shown, the Total Protein assay can be performed in thesame capillary and/or on the same sample as a western-blot styleimmunoassay. In some instances it may be preferable to perform theevents illustrated in FIGS. 2A-2H and described below in the ordershown, which reduces reagent deterioration.

FIG. 2A, is a schematic illustration of a sample that has been separatedand immobilized to a surface of a capillary 210. For example, theanalyte can be covalently bound to the surface of a capillary 210. Asshown, the sample has been separated into three bands 212, 214, and 216.Each band represents a distinct analyte species. It should be understoodthat the sample can contain any number of analyte species and/or beseparated into any number of bands. For example, in some instances, thesample can be a homogenous mixture of a single analyte species.

After the sample has been separated and/or immobilized, a biotinylationreagent 220 can be introduced into the capillary 210, as shown in FIG.2B. The biotinylation reagent 220 can be configured to bind to allproteins such that a Total Protein assay can be performed (as discussedin further detail below)—that is, such that a total quantity of proteinin the sample/capillary 210 can be determined. It can be preferable toadd the biotinylation reagent 220 to the capillary 210 prior toperforming any immunoassay, as biotinylation reagents may not be stableenough to be introduced in the capillary post-immunoassay. For example,in some instances, a user can load the biotinylation reagent (e.g., ontoa sample plate) immediately prior to initiating the run (e.g., less than20 minutes before the sample is introduced into the capillary) as insome situation, the biotinylation reagent may begin to degrade onceloaded. In some instances, the biotinylation reagent is introduced intothe capillary immediately after the sample has been separated and/orimmobilized (e.g., within 5 minutes of immobilizing and/or within 90minutes of introducing the sample into the capillary). Optionally,excess (e.g., unbound) biotin can be washed from the capillary after itis introduced. As discussed in further detail herein, the instrument canbe operable to run a reference sample in a parallel lane. Similarlystated, the instrument can be operable to load the same or differentsamples into multiple capillaries, including capillary 210 and at leastone reference capillary (not shown). The biotinylation reagent 220 canbe introduced into the reference capillary simultaneous to theintroduction of biotinylation reagent into capillary 210 or, forexample, within 5 minutes of introduction of biotinylation reagent intocapillary 210. Typically, given the stability profile of thebiotinylation reagent, it is introduced into the reference capillary andcapillary 210 before any immunoassay(s) is performed on sample incapillary 210.

An immunoassay can be performed on the sample immobilized in thecapillary 210 by introducing one or more primary antibodies. As shown inFIG. 2C, a first primary antibody 222 configured to selectively bind toa first analyte species 212 and a second primary antibody 224 configuredto selectively bind to a second analyte species 214 are introduced. Itshould be understood, however, that any number of primary antibodieswith any suitable selective binding characteristics can be introduced.Additionally, the first primary antibody 222, the second primaryantibody 224, and/or any other primary antibodies can be introducedsequentially or substantially simultaneously (e.g., mixed togetherand/or drawn from a common reagent reservoir). Optionally excess (e.g.,unbound) primary antibody can be washed from the capillary 210.

FIG. 2D illustrates the introduction of a first secondary antibody 226and a second secondary antibody 228 to the capillary 210. The firstsecondary antibody 226 is configured to selectively bind to the firstprimary antibody 222, and the second secondary antibody 228 isconfigured to selectively bind to the second primary antibody 224. Thefirst secondary antibody 226 and/or the second secondary antibody 228can have, or be modified to have, optically detectable characteristics.For example, secondary antibodies can be labeled with opticallydetectable agents either before or after being introduced into thecapillary. In some instances, it may be desirable for differentsecondary antibodies, which are configured to be associated withparticular primary antibodies and therefore particular analyte species,to have different optical characteristics. For example, FIG. 2Dillustrates a first secondary antibody 226 that is labeled with anoptically detectable marker (e.g., a fluorescent dye) prior tointroduction to the capillary 210. Optionally, unbound secondaryantibodies and/or optically detectable agents can be washed from thecapillary 210. The second secondary antibody 228, can be labeled, forexample with HRP, prior to being introduced into the capillary 210. FIG.2E illustrates the introduction of chemiluminescent substrate configuredto interact with the HRP-labeled second secondary antibody 228 toproduce an optically detectable signal. Optical characteristicsassociated with secondary antibodies, for example, chemiluminescence andfluorescence signals, can be collected by a CCD camera or anotherappropriate detector instantaneously and/or over time. Such opticalsignals can be used to identify some or all analyte species present inthe sample. For example, as shown in FIG. 2E analyte species 212 and 214would be detectable during an immunoassay. In instances in which oneanalyte species is associated with HRP and another analyte species isassociated with a fluorescent dye (e.g., as shown in FIGS. 2C-2E), thechemiluminescent signal and the fluorescent signal can be detectedsimultaneously or sequentially. For example, the fluorescent labeledfirst secondary antibody 226 can be excited before, during, or after theintroduction of the chemiluminescent substrate.

As shown in FIG. 2F, once the optical characteristics of the secondaryantibodies are detected, a stripping reagent configured to removeprimary and/or secondary antibodies from the analytes can be introducedinto the capillary 210. The stripping reagent is configured to leave thebiotin 220 bound to the analytes. FIG. 2G illustrates the introductionof streptavidin 232, avidin, and/or other suitable reagent configured tospecifically bind to biotin into the capillary. The streptavidin can beHRP-conjugated (before or after introduction into the capillary 210)and/or otherwise labeled or optically detectable. Total proteindetection can occur (e.g., a quantity of each protein labeled withbiotin can be determined), for example, by loading a chemiluminescentsubstrate and detecting chemiluminescence signal, as shown in FIG. 2H.In some instances, a quantity of protein in each band can be determinedseparately.

Determining a total quantity of protein can allow for normalization ofthe immunoassay signal to the total protein content. Similarly stated,optical signals associated with immunoassay(s) (e.g., signals associatedwith secondary antibodies bound to analyte species through primaryantibodies) can be corrected or normalized based on optical signalsindicative of a quantity of the protein (e.g., the optical signalassociated with streptavidin bound to proteins through biotin). In someinstances, a reference capillary (not shown) can be loaded with areference sample that is suitable for correcting immunoassay signals.For example, a cartridge containing multiple capillaries (e.g.,capillary 210 and the reference capillary) can be loaded with sample(s)sequentially or in parallel. Proteins in each capillary can bebiotinylated (sequentially or in parallel). HRP-conjugated streptavidinor another suitable reagent can be introduced into the capillaries(sequentially or in parallel). A chemiluminescent substrate can also beintroduced into the capillaries (sequentially or in parallel) such thata total protein quantity in each capillary can be determined. In someembodiments, analytes detected via immunoassay in capillary 210 can benormalized based on the total protein content in the referencecapillary. For example, a ratio of total protein in the referencecapillary to total protein in capillary 210 can be determined. Thatratio can be used to correct a signal associated with an immunoassay ofan individual protein species. Such a technique can be used to correctimmunoassay signals to account for loading heterogeneity. Similarlystated, a strong immunoassay signal could be the result of a “true”signal associated with a high concentration of a protein of interestrelative to other proteins in the sample, or it could be associated witha large total quantity of protein, for example if the contents of morecells than expected were loaded into the capillary.

Typically, an analyst will prepare a sample and/or suitable reagents andload a reagent/sample plate prior to initiating an immunoassay and/ortotal protein measurement. In some embodiments, after initiating animmunoassay and/or total protein measurement, some or all subsequentevents (e.g., sample load, separation, immunoassay or total protein,detection) can be performed automatically and/or without furtherinteraction by the analyst. As would be readily apparent to one skilledin the art, additional stripping and reprobing steps are possible,additional intermediate wash steps may be performed to flush unboundreagents from the capillary, different combinations of detection modesmay be used, and/or alternate detection modalities (color detection,fluorescence detection, etc.) can be used instead of the exactcombination described in the embodiment above. While FIGS. 2A-2Hdescribes detect two distinct protein species via chemiluminescence andfluorescence, followed by a total protein measurement, one skilled inthe art would readily understand that an alternate embodiment couldemploy two different antibodies for the same target or two differentepitopes of the same protein. In addition, fluorescence detection,absorbance or any suitable well-known detection method may be employed,including combinations of multiple detection modes.

FIGS. 2C and 2D illustrate introducing multiple primary antibodies 222,224 substantially simultaneously (e.g., as a mixture) and illustratingmultiple secondary antibodies 226, 228 substantially simultaneously. Incontrast, FIGS. 1B-1G illustrate introducing different primary andsecondary antibodies sequentially, with a stripping event occurringbetween the introduction of the first secondary antibody 122 and theintroduction of the second primary antibody 130. It should beunderstood, however, that the method shown and described with respect toFIGS. 1A-H can include the introduction of a mixture of primaryantibodies and/or secondary antibodies. Similarly, the method shown anddescribed with respect to FIGS. 2A-2H can include sequentialimmunoassays, for example, with additional striping events betweenimmunoassays.

According to some embodiments, methods described herein can be performedon an instrument suitable to conduct measurements of protein contentand/or perform immunoassay in the same capillary and/or in an automatedfashion, such as the Simple Western® platform by ProteinSimple®. Unlikeother known instruments, and techniques, embodiments described hereinare generally simpler than traditional methods used for total proteinmeasurement for traditional western blots. Immunoassay and total proteinmeasurements can be performed using chemiluminescent or fluorescentmethods or other methods known in the art. In addition, the strippingreagent used to remove the antibodies from the immunoassay improve theaccuracy of detection of the total protein content immobilized to thecapillary.

As discussed above with reference to FIGS. 1A-1H, a skilled artisanwould understand that the embodiment shown and described with referenceto FIGS. 2A-2H are by way of example and not limitation. Specifically, askilled artisan would understand that analyte species can be detectedthrough any combination of chemiluminescent, fluorescent, and/orabsorbance techniques. A skilled artisan would understand thatadditional or fewer than primary and secondary antibodies can be used. Askilled artisan would understand that antibodies can be pre-labeled withoptically detectable agents, that optically detectable agents can beintroduced into a capillary to selectively bind to antibodies and/oranalyte species, and/or that analyte species and/or antibodies can beinnately detectable (e.g., unlabeled antibodies can be detected, forexample, based on their absorbance characteristics).

Order of Operations

As described previously, a specific order of reagent addition ispreferred for improved performance when measuring Total Protein andimmunoassay signal in a capillary. Experimental evidence demonstratesthat addition of a biotinylation reagent after the immunoassay iscomplete resulted in signal that was 70% lower than a signal obtainedwhen adding the biotinylation reagent prior to the immunoassay. It isimportant to maintain higher signal and thus sensitivity in this assayto obtained preferred detection levels for the assay. One could attemptto perform the complete Total Protein detection (e.g., biotinylation anddetection using HRP conjugated streptavidin with luminol/peroxide) priorto the immunoassay, however, this is a less desirable assayconfiguration, presumably due to difficulty in removing the HRPconjugated streptavidin which has extremely high affinity for binding tobiotin. Incomplete removal of the HRP conjugated streptavidin couldnegatively affect the immunoassay performance, for example, throughresidual HRP conjugated streptavidin bound to the biotinylated proteinspreventing antibody binding to the target protein.

Stripping Reagent Formulation

There are a wide variety of formulations used for removal of antibodiesfrom western blot membranes that are known in the art. Theseformulations typically comprise a buffering component, detergent,denaturant, acidic or basic pH, and/or reductant. Most stripping buffersknown in the art use R-mercaptoethanol as a reductant, however,R-mercaptoethanol is toxic, not stable in solution, has an obnoxioussmell, and its use is now restricted or banned in some countries.Accordingly, a need exists for a stripping reagent for removal ofantibodies bound to analytes from a capillary.

An stripping reagent formulations using Tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphinehydrochloride (TCEP) as a phosphine reductant in the place ofR-mercaptoethanol have been developed and are shown in Table 1. Whilemost of the Table 1 formulations tested worked to some extent inremoving antibodies, it is desirable to consistently remove at least 95%of the residual signal of an immunoassay, for example, as performedusing the Simple Western® instrument. Preferably the stripping reagentshould also be stable in solution, i.e., no precipitation ordecomposition should occur during storage over a period of time (e.g., 1day, 1 week, 1 month, 6 months, 1 year, or any other suitable timeframe). As can be seen in Table 1, merely substituting R-mercaptoethanolwith TCEP failed to consistently achieve >95% stripping efficiencywithout precipitation. Achieving a high stripping efficiency across manyantibodies is important because retained antibodies will create noiseand degrade the limit of detection for subsequent immunoassay steps.

Further optimization was performed through broader titrations and newcombinations of the components of Table 1 with additional components(such as different detergents and reductants). It has been determinedthat key influences on stripping efficiency include Trizmaconcentration, TCEP concentration and pH, while the stripping efficiencywas relatively insensitive to SDS concentration. Formulations wereanalyzed for antibody removal efficiency on Simple Western® incombination with a variety of immunoassays (different antibodies,different target proteins), as shown in Table 2. Formulations werefurther tested for precipitation, decomposition, and ≥95% antibodyremoval efficiency for multiple antibodies. Several candidates in Table2 meet these criteria. Formulations with neutral or basic pH performedsignificantly worse than formulations with acidic pH. This observationwas surprising as TCEP is a reductant in the preferred formulations, andTCEP, according to conventional wisdom, is thought to be effectiveacross a broad pH range of 1.5 to 8.5) with best reducing performancenear neutral pH (i.e. near a pH of 7) (see Han, J. C. and Han, Y. H., AProcedure for Quantitative Determination oftris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine, an Odorless Reducing Agent More Stableand Effective Than Dithiothreitol, Anal Biochem. 1994 July; 220(1):5-10,which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety). In addition,the preferred formulations were determined to operate with highestantibody removal efficiency in a narrow pH range, as shown in FIG. 3,which illustrates that preferred formulations capable of producing astripping efficiency of >97% have pH of 4.05+/−0.3. FIG. 3 illustratesstripping efficiency against three different targets, park7, beta-actin,and HSP60.

TABLE 1 Stripping Precipitates Buffer Denatured agents DetergentsReducing agents Strong base efficiency over time 1XPBS 0.1% SDS 1% Tween50 mM TCEP 0.1M NaOH <50% Yes 1.5% glycine HCl, 0.1% SDS 1% Tween <70%No pH 2.2 (adjusted) 1.5% glycine HCl 0.1% SDS 1% Tween 50 mM TCEP 0.2MNaOH >70% No 60 mM TrisCl pH 7.2 2% SDS 10 mM THPP >70% No 60 mM TrisClpH 7.2 2% SDS 10 mM TCEP >80% No 1.5% glycine HCl, 2% SDS 1% Tween 0.2MNaOH >90% Yes pH 2.2 (adjusted) 0.1M TrisCl pH 7.2 0.1% SDS 1% Tween 50mM TCEP 0.1M NaOH >90% Yes 0.1M TrisCl pH 7.2 0.1% SDS 1% Tween/1%TritonX 50 mM TCEP 0.1M NaOH >90% Yes 0.1M TrisCl pH 7.2 0.2% SDS 1%Tween 50 mM TCEP 0.1M NaOH >90% Yes 60 mM TrisCl pH 7 2% SDS 50 mMTCEP >90% No 60 mM TrisCl pH 7 2% SDS/10% TMP 50 mM TCEP >90% No (THPPis Tris(hydroxypropyl)phosphine; TCEP is Tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphinehydrochloride)

TABLE 2 Stability at 60 Conc TCEP THPP final other % Stripping C.:efficiency Buffer species mM mM TCEP stock mM SDS pH detergentsPrecipitation Efficiency decrease Trizma pH 9 100 100 2% 9 no 14.1% n/aTrizma pH 9 50 100 2% 9 no 19.5% n/a Trizma pH 9 100 50 2% 9 no 31.3%n/a Trizma pH 9 50 50 2% 9 no 32.5% n/a Trizma pH 9 200 50 2% 9 no 34.3%n/a Trizma pH 9 200 100 2% 9 no 34.5% n/a Glycine HCl pH 3 50 100 2% 7no 39.5% n/a Trizma pH 9 500 100 powder 2% 8 no 42.2% n/a MOPS 200 100solution pH 7 2% 6 no 64.6% n/a MES 200 100 solution pH 7 2% 5.5 no81.0% n/a Glycine HCl pH 3 200 50 2% 2.5 no 91.6% n/a Glycine HCl pH 350 100 solution pH 7 2% 4.5 4 C. 1 day - yes; 91.8% n/a RT - no GlycineHCl pH 3 100 50 2% 3 no 93.4% n/a Glycine HCl pH 3 200 100 solution pH 72% CHAPS 2% no 94.4% n/a Glycine HCl pH 3 200 100 powder 2% 2 no 95.5%n/a Trizma pH 9 200 100 powder 2% CHAPS 2% no 95.9% n/a Glycine HCl pH 3200 100 solution pH 7 2% TritonX-100 2% no 97.1% n/a TrisCl pH 7.5 60100 powder 2% 2.5 97.4% n/a Glycine HCl pH 3 200 100 solution pH 7 2%Tween20 2% no 97.8% n/a Glycine HCl pH 3 50 n/a 50 1% n/a no 97.8% n/aGlycine HCl pH 3 200 100 2% 3 no 97.8% n/a MES 60 100 powder 2% no 97.9%n/a MOPS 60 100 powder 2% no 97.9% n/a TrisCl pH 7.5 60  50 powder 2%no - 4 C./37 C. 98.2% week 2 - 70% TrisCl pH 7.5 60  75 powder 2% yes -60 C., 2 98.2% week 1 - 80% weeks Glycine HCl pH 3 200 100 solution pH 72% BRIJ 35 2% no 98.2% n/a Tricine 60 100 powder 2% no 98.3% n/a TrisClpH 7.5 60 100 powder 2% yes - 60 C., 2 98.4% week 1 - 80% weeks GlycineHCl pH 3 100 100 solution pH 7 2% 4 4 C. 1 day - yes; 98.4% n/a RT - noHEPES 50 100 powder 2% 3 no 98.4% n/a HEPES 60 100 powder 2% 3 4 C. 2days - yes 98.5% n/a Glycine HCl pH 3 100 100 2% 4.5 no 98.5% n/a TrizmapH 9 200 100 powder 2% Tween20 2% no 98.5% n/a TrisCl pH 7.5 60 150powder 2% yes - 60 C., 2 98.5% week 1 - 65% weeks Trizma pH 9 60 100powder 2% 2.5 no 98.6% n/a HEPES 75 100 powder 2% 3 4 C. 1 day - yes98.6% n/a Glycine HCl pH 3 50 n/a 50 2% n/a no 98.6% n/a Trizma pH 9 200100 powder 2% BRIJ 35 2% no 98.7% n/a Glycine HCl pH 3 50 n/a 50 1% LDSno 98.7% n/a HEPES 200 100 powder 2% 3.5 4 C. 4 days - yes 98.7% n/aHEPES 200 100 powder 2% 3.5 4 C. 1 day - yes 98.7% n/a HEPES 150 100powder 2% 3 4 C. 1 day - yes 98.8% n/a Trizma pH 9 200 100 powder 2%TritonX-100 2% no 98.8% n/a Glycine HCl pH 3 200 100 solution pH 7 2%Tween20 0.5% no 98.8% n/a Glycine HCl pH 3 50 n/a 50 2% LDS no 98.9% n/aHEPES 100 100 powder 2% 3 4 C. 1 day - yes 98.9% n/a Trizma pH 9 75 100powder 2% no 98.9% n/a Glycine HCl pH 3 200 100 solution pH 7 2%TritonX-100 0.5% no 99.0% n/a Trizma pH 9 50 100 powder 2% 3 no 99.0%n/a Glycine HCl pH 3 50 n/a 50 5% n/a no 99.0% n/a Glycine HCl pH 3 200100 solution pH 7 2% CHAPS 0.5% no 99.0% n/a Trizma pH 9 200 100 powder2% CHAPS 0.5% no 99.0% n/a Glycine HCl pH 3 200 100 solution pH 7 2% 3.54 C. 1 day - yes; 99.1% week 2: no RT - no decrease Glycine HCl pH 3 200100 solution pH 7 2% BRU 35 0.5% no 99.1% n/a Trizma pH 9 200 100 powder2% TritonX-100 0.5% no 99.1% n/a Glycine HCl pH 3 200 100 solution pH 71% LDS no 99.1% n/a Bicine 50 100 powder 2% 3 no 99.1% n/a Glycine HClpH 3 200 100 solution pH 7 1% no 99.1% n/a Glycine HCl pH 3 200 100solution pH 7 2% LDS no 99.1% n/a Glycine HCl pH 3 200 100 solution pH 72% no 99.2% n/a Glycine HCl pH 3 50 n/a 50 5% LDS no 99.2% n/a Trizma pH9 200 100 powder 1% no 99.2% n/a Trizma pH 9 200 100 powder 5% LDS no99.2% n/a Trizma pH 9 200 100 powder 2% Tween20 0.5% no 99.2% n/a TrizmapH 9 200 100 powder 2% LDS no 99.2% n/a Trizma pH 9 100 100 powder 2% no99.2% n/a Trizma pH 9 200 100 powder 2% no 99.2% n/a Bicine 150 100powder 2% 3 no 99.2% n/a Trizma pH 9 200 100 powder 5% yes - 4 C. 3days, 99.2% n/a goes back to soln in RT Trizma pH 9 200 100 powder 1%LDS no 99.3% n/a Bicine 100 100 powder 2% 3 no 99.3% n/a Trizma pH 9 200100 powder 2% BRIJ 35 0.5% no 99.3% n/a Trizma pH 9 150 100 powder 2% no99.3% n/a Glycine HCl pH 3 200 100 solution pH 7 5% no 99.3% n/a TrizmapH 9 200 100 powder 2% 4 no 99.3% n/a Glycine HCl pH 3 200 100 solutionpH 7 5% LDS no 99.4% n/a Glycine HCl pH 3 50 50 2% 4 no 99.5% week 2: nodecrease

FIG. 4 illustrates the performance of the formulations shown in Table 3and shows an even greater decrease in stripping efficiency when the pHis greater than 4.5. A less severe, but noticeable decrease in strippingefficiency when the pH was less than 3 (data not shown in FIG. 4, butapparent from individual rows of Table 2). It was surprising to discoverthat a narrow and specific pH range was required for optimal antibodyremoval 95%) in the Simple Western® capillary. This may be due to theunique properties and/or internal environment of the Simple Westerncapillary versus a western blot membrane. Also, it was determined thatmultiple incubations of the stripping reagent in the capillary improvedantibody removal efficiency.

TABLE 3 Trizma, SDS TCEP, m % mM pH b-actin Park7 HSP60 A 240 2.0% 805.84 86.73% 86.13% 83.10% B 220 2.0% 80 4.81 97.07% 97.07% 96.32% C 2002.0% 80 4.45 99.32% 99.59% 98.94% D 220 2.0% 100 4.16 99.62% 99.78%99.46% Center 200  2% 100 4.05 99.36% 99.82% 99.59% Po

While various embodiments have been described above, it should beunderstood that they have been presented by way of example only, and notlimitation. For example, while embodiments described herein generallydescribe capillary-based techniques, it should be understood that anysuitable microfluidic device or other electrophoretic techniques can beused. As another example, embodiments described herein related to TotalProtein labeling generally describe biotinylation. It should beunderstood, however, that other suitable techniques for non-specificprotein labeling and detection are also possible, such as,his-tag/anti-his, glutathione/glutathione s-transferase,maltose/maltose-binding protein, chitin/chitin-binding protein, etc. Aperson skilled in the art would understand that any suitable moleculehaving an NHS-ester or other moiety to chemically react with proteins(e.g., amino acids such as lysine, protein backbones such as nitrogen,post-translation modifications like glycan, etc.) could be suitable forTotal Protein labeling. In addition, while techniques to identify atotal quantity of proteins and normalize based on protein quantity havebeen described, it should be understood that analogous techniques existfor many other analytes. For example, it is possible to perform ameasurement of the total amount of nucleic acid, lipid, and/orglycoprotein, which can then be used to normalize measurements betweencapillaries. For example, a molecule having an aminooxy reactive groupcan chemically react with sugars such as polysaccharides or glycangroups. Likewise a molecule having a psoralen group can bind with DNA orRNA via UV-light-activated intercalation of the psoralen group withthymine- and other pyrimidine-containing bases. Nucleic acid bindingchemistries include the carbodiimide crosslinker EDC/imidazole as wellas other chemical and enzymatic attachment methods known in the art.Likewise, methods to biotinylate lipids are known in the art, see forexample Henry, Stephen, et al. ‘Rapid one-step biotinylation ofbiological and non-biological surfaces.’ Scientific reports 8.1 (2018):1-6,” the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated byreference.

Where schematics and/or embodiments described above indicate certaincomponents arranged in certain orientations or positions, thearrangement of components may be modified. While the embodiments havebeen particularly shown and described, it will be understood thatvarious changes in form and details may be made. Although variousembodiments have been described as having particular features and/orcombinations of components, other embodiments are possible having acombination of any features and/or components from any of embodiments asdiscussed above.

Where methods and/or events described above indicate certain eventsand/or procedures occurring in certain order, the ordering of certainevents and/or procedures may be modified. Additionally, certain eventsand/or procedures may be performed concurrently in a parallel processwhen possible, as well as performed sequentially as described above.

1.-16. (canceled)
 17. A method, comprising: electrophoreticallyseparating a sample containing a plurality of proteins in a microfluidicdevice; immobilizing the plurality of proteins in the microfluidicdevice after electrophoretic separation; introducing, into themicrofluidic device, a molecule with a reactive moiety configured tonon-specifically bind to proteins; introducing, into the microfluidicdevice, a primary antibody configured to bind to at least a subset ofproteins from the plurality of proteins; introducing, into themicrofluidic device, a secondary antibody configured to bind to theprimary antibody; detecting the subset of proteins based on an opticalcharacteristic associated with the secondary antibody; introducing, intothe microfluidic device, a stripping reagent configured to remove theprimary antibody from the subset of proteins; introducing, into themicrofluidic device, an optically detectable agent configured to bind tothe molecule; detecting an optical signal associated with the opticallydetectable agent; and normalize the optical characteristic associatedwith the secondary antibody based on the optical signal associated withthe optically detectable agent.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein: themolecule is biotin such that introducing the molecule includesbiotinylating the plurality of proteins; and the optically detectableagent is horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-conjugated streptavidin, themethod further comprising: introducing, into the microfluidic device, achemiluminescent substrate configured to interact with the HRP toproduce the optical signal associated with the optically detectableagent.
 19. (canceled)
 20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:determining a total quantity of the plurality of proteins based on theoptical signal associated with the optically detectable agent, theoptical characteristic associated with the secondary antibody normalizedbased on the total quantity of the plurality of proteins.
 21. The methodof claim 17, wherein the subset of proteins is a first protein, theprimary antibody is a first primary antibody, and the secondary antibodyis a first secondary antibody, the method further comprising:introducing, into the microfluidic device, a second primary antibodyconfigured to bind to a second protein from the plurality of proteins;introducing, into the microfluidic device, a second secondary antibodyconfigured to bind to the second primary antibody; detecting the secondprotein based on an optical characteristic associated with the secondsecondary antibody; and normalize the optical characteristic associatedwith the second secondary antibody based on the optical signalassociated with the optically detectable agent.
 22. The method of claim21, wherein the first secondary antibody is labeled with horseradishperoxidase and the second secondary antibody is labeled with afluorescent dye.
 23. The method of claim 21, wherein introducing themolecule, introducing the first primary antibody, introducing the firstsecondary antibody, detecting the first protein, introducing the secondprimary antibody, introducing the second secondary antibody, detectingthe second protein, introducing the stripping reagent, introducing theoptically detectable agent, and detecting the optical signal associatedwith the protein all occur while the plurality of proteins areimmobilized in the microfluidic device.
 24. The method of claim 21,wherein introducing the molecule, introducing the first primaryantibody, detecting the first protein, introducing the strippingreagent, introducing the optically detectable agent, and detecting theoptical signal associated with the protein occur in that order. 25.(canceled)
 26. The method of claim 17, wherein introducing the molecule,introducing the primary antibody, introducing the secondary antibody,detecting the subset of proteins, introducing the stripping reagent,introducing the optically detectable agent, and detecting the opticalsignal associated with the protein all occur while the plurality ofproteins are immobilized in the microfluidic device.
 27. The method ofclaim 17, wherein introducing the molecule, introducing the primaryantibody, detecting the subset of proteins, introducing the strippingreagent, introducing the optically detectable agent, and detecting theoptical signal associated with the protein occur in that order, withoutuser intervention.
 28. The method of claim 17, wherein the strippingreagent includes Tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine hydrochloride and has apH between 3 and 4.5.
 29. The method of claim 17, wherein the strippingreagent has a stripping efficiency of greater than 95% and includes abuffer formulation comprising a buffer selected from the groupconsisting of: 100 mM Glycine hydrochloride (HCl), 100 mMTris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine hydrochloride (TCEP); 2% sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS); 200 mM Tris base, 100 mM TCEP, 2% SDS, 2%3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate (CHAPS); 200mM Glycine HCl, 100 mM TCEP, 2% SDS, 2% t-Octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol;60 mM Tris hydrochloride (TrisCl), 100 mM TCEP, 2% SDS; 200 mM GlycineHCl, 100 mM TCEP, 2% SDS, 2% Polysorbate 20; 60 mM2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid (MES), 100 mM TCEP, 2% SDS; 60 mM3-(N-morpholino)propanesulfonic acid (MOPS), 100 mM TCEP, 2% SDS; 60 mMTrisCl, 50 mM TCEP, 2% SDS; 200 mM Glycine HCl, 100 mM TCEP, 2% SDS, 2%Polyoxyethylene (23) lauryl ether; 60 mMN-(2-Hydroxy-1,1-bis(hydroxymethyl)ethyl)glycine (Tricine), 100 mM TCEP,2% SDS; 50 mM 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid)(HEPES), 100 mM TCEP, 2% SDS; 60 mM Tris base, 100 mM TCEP, 2% SDS; 200mM Tris base, 100 mM TCEP, 2% SDS, 2% Polyoxyethylene (23) lauryl ether;200 mM Tris base, 100 mM TCEP, 2% t-Octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol; 200mM Glycine HCl, 100 mM TCEP, 2% SDS, 0.5% Polysorbate 20; 75 mM Trisbase, 100 mM TCEP, 2% SDS; 200 mM Glycine HCl, 100 mM TCEP, 2% SDS, 0.5%t-Octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol; 50 mM Tris base, 100 mM TCEP, 2% SDS;200 mM Glycine HCl, 100 mM TCEP, 2% SDS, 0.5% CHAPS; 200 mM Tris base,100 mM TCEP, 2% SDS, 0.5% CHAPS; 200 mM Glycine HCl, 1200 mM TCEP, 2%SDS, 0.5% Polyoxyethylene (23) lauryl ether; 200 mM Tris base, 100 mMTCEP, 2% SDS, 0.5% t-Octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol; 200 mM Glycine HCl,100 mM TCEP, 1% lithium dodecyl sulfate (LDS); 50 mM Bicine 1′00 mMTCEP; 2% SDS; 200 mM Glycine HCl, 100 mM TCEP, 1% SDS; 200 mM GlycineHCl, 100 mM TCEP, 2% LDS; 200 mM Glycine HCl, 100 mM TCEP, 2% SDS; 200mM Tris base, 100 mM TCEP, 1% SDS; 200 mM Tris base, 100 mM TCEP, 5%LDS; 200 mM Tris base, 100 mM TCEP, 2% SDS, 0.5% Polysorbate 20; 200 mMTris base, 100 mM TCEP, 2% LDS; 100 mM Tris base, 100 mM TCEL, 2% SDS;150 mM Bicine, 100 mM TCEP, 2% SDS; 200 mM Tris base, 100 mM TCEP, 1%LDS; 100 mM Bicine, 100 mM TCEP, 2% SDS, 0.5% Polyoxyethylene (23)lauryl ether; 150 mM Tris base, 100 mM TCEP, 2% SDS; 200 mM Glycine HCl,100 mM TCEP, 5% SDS; 200 mM Tris base, 100 mM TCEP, 2% SDS; and 200 mMGlycine HCl, 100 mM TCEP, 5% LDS.
 30. The method of claim 17, whereineach protein from the plurality of proteins is a molecule of a commonprotein species.
 31. (canceled)
 32. The method of claim 17, furthercomprising washing the primary antibody and the secondary antibody fromthe microfluidic device after introducing the stripping reagent, beforeintroducing the optically detectable agent, and while the plurality ofproteins remain immobilized in the microfluidic device.
 33. The methodof claim 17, wherein: the microfluidic device is a first capillary; thesample is a first sample; and the optical signal associated with theoptically detectable agent is a first optical signal, the method furthercomprising: introducing a second sample into a second capillary;introducing the molecule with the reactive moiety configured tonon-specifically bind to proteins into the second capillary; introducingthe optically detectable agent configured to bind to the molecule to thesecond capillary; and detecting a second optical signal, the secondoptical signal associated with the optically detectable agent and thesecond capillary, normalizing the optical characteristic associated withthe secondary antibody including correcting the optical characteristicassociated with the secondary antibody based on a ratio of the firstoptical signal to the second optical signal. 34.-44. (canceled)
 45. Themethod of claim 17, wherein the optically detectable agent ishorseradish peroxidase (HRP), the method further comprising: introducinga chemiluminescent substrate configured to interact with the HRP toproduce the optical signal associated with the optically detectableagent.
 46. The method of claim 24, wherein: the second primary antibodyis introduced substantially simultaneously with introducing the firstprimary antibody; and the second secondary antibody is introducedsubstantially simultaneously with introducing the second secondaryantibody.
 47. The method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of proteinsincludes a plurality of protein species.